Chapter 148
Princess Freda does not know how long she has been sleeping but was woken up when two women whom she recognized from the night Prince Adio tried to claim her walked into her room.
“I am Chione, a wife of Prince Ra,” a beautiful woman, her skin the color of cinnamon, her eyes hickory brown and sharp at the edges, her hair long and light brown, her voice smooth like honey.
“I am Sanura, also a wife of Prince Ra,” as beautiful as Choine's her skin light tortilla brown, her hair mocha brown, her eyes golden brown like gemstones, her voice airy.”
“I recognize you. Were you not the wives of Prince Adio? I didn’t know the wives get past on to the next in line?” Princess Freda asked, shocked that Prince Ra, her prince, her fated mate, would take his father's wives.
“That is correct, but before we belonged to Prince Adio, we belonged to Prince Ra first,” Sanura said, a smile on her face.
“I am not sure I understand,” Princess Freda said.
“First, let us start getting you ready,” Choine said, walking over to the bathtub and opening the water.
“Don’t you have maids to this sort of thing?” Princess Freda asked, thinking it strange that the wives of a prince should tend to her.
“Prince Ra wanted us to settle you in,” Choine said.
“So that you can sing his praise?” Princess Freda asked.
“Prince Ra doesn’t need us to sing his praise. Soon enough, you will find out for yourself what a wonderful man he is,” Sanura said, fiddling with Princess Freda’s dress.
“Your skin is as light as milk,” Choine said.
“Is that a bad thing?” Princess Freda asked, feeling shy all of a sudden, walking over to the bathtub.
“It is a good thing,” Choine smiled.
The two women had no problem touching Princess Freda while bathing her, making Princess Freda blush when Choine poured water over her breast, making her nipples erect.
“You should not be shy, you have a beautiful body,” Choine said, reaching out and rubbing her hands over Princess Freda’s erect nipples.
When Sanura saw that Princess Freda was not objecting to Choine’s touch, she slipped her hands under the water, starting at Princess Freda’s ankle, touching her all the way to between her legs, making her gasp.
“Sorry,” Sanura retracted her hand.
“I think I am all clean,” Princess Freda said, standing up swiftly and grabbing the nearest towel to wrap around her nakedness.
Choine gave Sanura the eye. ‘She must always move too fast,’ she thought.
After dressing Princess Freda in a white kaftan that she wore over a white gallibaya that was belted with a gold hizan they decorated her hair with plates of gold chains.
Another of prince Ra’s wives, named Panya, walked into the room, dressed as elegantly as Princess Freda. “I will take over so that the two of you can go get ready.”
They bow their heads in respect of one another before leaving to get ready themselves.
“I am Panya. We should make our way over to the dining room,” she said with her crisp voice, her English accent flawless, making princess Freda wonder about her origins since her appearance was Asian looking but her voice European. “You are also one of Prince Ra’s wives,” Princess Freda acknowledged, recognizing her, her almost black jaded eyes with her fair skin and smooth black long hair unforgettable.
***
Princess Freda was excited to experience Egyptian culture first-hand and she could not wait to try the cuisine.
At the dining table, only the wives and Prince Ra’s mother were present, making Princess Freda wonder why she got all dressed up if Prince Ra was not even going to be present.
“I am Zahra,” one introduced herself, her voice elegant as her appearance; diamond grey eyes, mocha brown skin, thinner looking than the rest of the wives.
“Nashwa,” looking as happy as her name suggest, her open smile revealing a perfect mouth of pearly white teeth that shines as bright as her glimmering brown eyes, her brown hair reaching just under her shoulders with a short french cut, smooth and shining under the light, looking just like the pictures that Princess Freda saw in the newspaper of Egyptian Cleopatra.
“I am Nura,” the youngest-looking of the wives introduced herself, deep-set chocolate brown eyes dark with unhappiness. Her pecan brown hair was smooth like the rest of her sister wives.
“You don’t seem to be happy to be here?” Princess Freda picked up on her strident tone.
“I am very happy to be here,” Nura said with a hateful look in her eyes.
‘Guess she is not happy about my presence then,’ Princess Freda thought to herself, wondering when the food will be brought in.
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Zuberi said, and in come half a dozen servants carrying platters of food and stepped in between the ladies before bending down and placing the trays down on the table, each tray consisting of the same dishes in small portions.
‘As if it was not enough sitting on the floor,’ Princess Freda thought, looking at the delegacies on the platters, shifting on her embroiled pillow as the spiciness of the food hit her sensitive nose.
On the platters were Koshari, Mulukhiya in individual bowls, and Tameya bread.
Princess Freda watched Zuberi placing a bread-looking thing into a side dish in front of her.
“Are you familiar with our dishes?” Zuberi asked, looking at Princess Freda’s turned-up face.
“I am not, but I do recognize the ingredients,” Princess Freda chuckled at being caught out.
“Well, this is Koshari, it consists of Rice, Lentils, and Macaroni with Spicey Tomato Chile Sauce,” Zuberi pointed to the dish she didn’t put on her plate.
“What is this?” Princess Freda asked, picking up a piece of bread.
“Tameya, made from chickpeas instead of the usual broad beans and this is Mulukhiva,” she pointed at the Spinach and feta dish.
“Known by the British as spinach soup,” Panya said with a kind smile, taking a bowl.
Halfway through dinner, Zuberi noticed Princess Freda’s dull face. “Everything to your liking? If you want, I can send for a human.”
“A human?” Princess Freda asked, confused.
“We know what you are. I prefer not feeding on a human at the table, but Prince Ra feeds wherever he pleases and I suspect he would want you to feel free to do the same,” Zuberi said.
“I have never drunk human blood or animal for that matter,” Princess Freda said, shocked.
“I apologize for reading you wrong. Please tell us what the matter is, then?” Zuberi asked.
“Nothing, everything is perfect,” Princess Freda said, feeling caught out and wishing she hadn’t worn her emotions on her face.
“Tell the truth,” Zuberi compelled her.
“I don’t know why I got all dressed up if Prince Ra is not here to see it,” Princess Freda spat out, angry that Zuberi compelled the truth out of her, making her say it in front of all of them.
“I didn’t mean to compel you, but we are responsible for your happiness,” Zuberi apologized.
“I would like to believe that every human being is responsible for their own happiness,” Princess Freda said.
“If you are unhappy, then Prince Ra will be unhappy and then all of us will be unhappy,” Nura said before taking a bite of her food.
“Well put,” Zuberi said, taking a sip of her drink.
“Don’t you drink wine?” Princess Freda took a sip of her own drink, thinking it was wine.
“It is forbidden and besides Prince Ra doesn’t like it when we taste unpure,” Nashwa said, a smile on her face, thinking about earlier the day when he made love to her on the very table they are eating on.
“Drinking human blood is also forbidden but that does not stop him,” Nura said, staring Zuberi down.
“Would you be so brave to remind Prince Ra of it?” Zuberi challenged.
“Ignore her, tonight was supposed to be her night alone with Prince Ra but now his plans have changed,” Panva said, her eyes on her food so as to not pay attention to Nura’s hateful eyes.
“If you are done eating, then I will take you to Prince Ra,” Zuberi said.
“Prince Ra asked me to take her after dinner,” Nura said, and stood up.
“If you wish, but let me warn you to keep your emotions in check,” Zuberi warned.
Princess Freda stood up and followed Nura, eager to see Prince Ra again.
